Institutional Policy for Shared Equipment Use

Overview and General Information

Savannah State University's Shared Equipment and Core Facilities (SHARED CORE) support a broad range of services, technology and expertise. The multidisciplinary scope of the SSU core facility avoids needless duplication of scientific resources within funded research centers and program projects, enabling efficient use of technologies that serves all SSU research efforts.Â As a guiding principle,all SSU faculty members, their trainees, and their staff may utilize these shared resources, regardless of departmental affiliation. Moreover, all equipment purchased through the university is the property of the university and not of any user or facilitator.

Definition of Research Shared Resources and Core Facilities
Shared Core facilitates research activity and provides to users access to state-of-the-art equipment and/or technology.Â In some instances, Shared Core may collocate certain equipment.Â In other instances, equipment may be located within distinct laboratories. In all circumstances access to users will be assured.

By definition, Shared Core is not dedicated to the work of a single research group or department, but must maintain equitable access to all investigators and be open for new business. Successful operation requires the coordination a managing director who interacts with researchers and staff across a range of disciplines. As a rule, the core should have significant year-round productivity from which an annual report is generated.Â

Accessibility to Equipment
All University constituents will have access to all equipment within the constraints by which the
equipment was purchased and/or service was established. The original funding source or terms of the ongoing funding mechanism for the Core may dictate constraints on user accessibility. Since University constituents will have priority access, external entities may be given access as capacity permits.

Users will have access based on availability of equipment, completion of required training and timely requests to the managing director of the facility.Â Access may be restricted or revoked for violations of policies and practices regarding equipment use.

For the 2013-2014 academic year, the managing director for all core facilities is Dr. Jonathan Lambright, Interim Dean, College of Sciences and Technology (COST).